County commissioners have approved the hiring of Thomas Slivinski as patrol deputy for Poland. Slivinski, who is retiring from the Auburn Police Department, served as a deputy sheriff during the 1970s and worked for the Maine Drug Enforcement Agency for eight years.

Poland contracts with the county for police services.

– John Plestina
County Commission: Jail makes money

Sheriff Ronald Gagnon told the commission that $4,505 had been collected so far this year from other counties for boarding prisoners at the Androscoggin County Jail.

He told the commission that another $10,200 is due to be billed to several counties. As of last Wednesday, there were four prisoners from Somerset County lodged at the facility in Auburn.

– John Plestina
Durham: Candidates file papers

The deadline to file nomination papers for the April 1 election passed Tuesday, but only one candidate, incumbent Milton Simon, is seeking re-election to one of the three seats on the Budget Committee.

The seats are currently held by William Blais and Christine Charette, who did not take out papers. As a result, two of the three-year openings will be filled by write-in votes, Town Clerk Shannon Plourde said.

Incumbent selectmen Kirk Asselyn and Michael VanDerWerf are being challenged by Christine Charette and Norman Newell.

Selectman Daryl Pratt is challenging long-time Road Commissioner Clifton H. Larrabee Jr. for that position.

In the only other contest, Laurie Poissonnier is challenging incumbents Linda Pfaffinger and Amber Snell for one of two openings on the School Committee.

Incumbent Tax Collector and Treasurer Pauline Paradis is running unopposed for those dual positions.

This will be the first time since the town was incorporated in 1789, that the annual town meeting and election will be held during the first week of April instead of March. The change was approved by voters at town meeting last year.

– Connie Footman